The Last of the Elite
by TKcloud9
Summary: Lt. Jane Malory. A Star Fleet officer, former member of the Maquis, currently works in Tactical. But she seems way too good. And then they find out that she's been part of Star Fleet for 300 years, and that's barely scratching the surface of her long history...
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager is owned by Paramount. Not mine. Oh well._**

**_A/N: The story begins shortly after Caretaker, part 2. _**

They were going over the new crew appointments. Captain and Cmdr were nearly done with it, only a few people left.

"Jane Malory," Janeway said, picking up the next PADD and reading the name. "Where can we put her?"

"Anywhere, honestly," Chakotay replied, after a moment's thought.

Janeway raised an eyebrow. "Anywhere?"

Chakotay shrugged. "She can do a little bit of everything. Field medic one day and engineer the next, lead a tactical assault the next day and build shelters from the ground up the day after that. One of my best people."

That was a strong recommendation. Janeway looked at the file more closely. "She was in Star Fleet before?"

"Yes."

Janeway frowned at the PADD. The record merely said, "Star Fleet Intelligence, resigned star date-" and it gave a time 3 years ago.

"And joined the Maquis a few days afterwards," Chakotay finished. "If I had to choose I'd recommend security, captain."

Janeway raised an eyebrow. She'd seen Malory. A thin, auburn-haired woman with a serious, calm expression. "Really."

"She's a fighter," Chakotay said. "The best strategist besides Tuvok. Lt. Cmdr. Tuvok," he added as an afterthought. That small betrayal still rankled.

"Well then, that's settled," Janeway decided. "With Tuvok's approval, our new Lt. Malory will be in security."

Tuvok definitely approved. He'd suspected Malory had some sort of tactical training, and he was pleased (logically of course) that she was in security.

After giving the former Maquis members crash courses in Star Fleet regulations and procedures, he started a series of training simulations for the entire department. Exercises designed to stimulate teamwork and bonding between the two crews in their new situation. For each new danger that the Delta Quadrant presented, he came up with a new series of possible scenarios. The security teams were responding satisfactorily.

Time passed, and with it came new troubles. The security division didn't need those training sims, not anymore. They had real life to deal with.

And then, Tuvok found that someone had still been running his training sims. They were being called up regularly, every two weeks. He checked whose time slot it was. Lt Malory. _Interesting._ He checked her location. She was in the holodeck. Tuvok decided to go see how she was doing.

When he entered the holodeck, he was immediately assaulted by the bright, glaring sun. He basked in its warmth for a few seconds; it was never warm enough on the ship. Not that he minded. He was Vulcan, after all. He wondered what planet this was supposed to be. The Ocampa home world, possibly? It looked barren enough.

"Get down!" a savage voice whispered, and a hand dragged him down behind a rock into the shade.

Tuvok raised an eyebrow at the dirty, deeply tanned rebel in front of him, wearing sand-colored clothes and carrying a sand-colored plasma disruptor. "I'm looking for Lt Malory," he said.

"You shouldn't be here," the rebel told him. "Flyers are bound to come up any minute."

"Computer, freeze program," a sharp voice commanded from behind Tuvok's right ear.

He turned, startled but impassive as ever. "Lt Malory," he acknowledged, taking in her confident grip on a thick wooden root.

"Cmdr Tuvok," she replied, standing at attention.

"At ease," he said.

She relaxed and dropped the root on the rocks. "May I help you with something, sir?" she asked.

"No," was his reply. He didn't need anything. "I merely came to observe."

She grinned at him. "Well, sir, I'd recommend you take a seat. The Flyers are coming in any second."

"Where are we, Lt?" Tuvok asked.

"The planet of Rogues. Warlords fight for supremacy and use the planet's minerals for trade with passing ships. Anybody rich enough to get off the surface leaves." Lt. Malory frowned. "And of course we are the victims. Crashed here a few days ago and we're working to repair the ship."

"And you are?" Tuvok prompted.

"Leader in charge of defending the borders of our territory," Malory replied. "We're defending ourselves from an assault at the moment from a rival warlord."

"I see," Tuvok said. He nodded. "Carry on."

She picked up the bludgeon and returned to her station, a nearly invisible hideaway. "Computer, resume program."

The action resumed, and suddenly a squad of crude ships appeared from the west. "Flyers incoming!" the rebel shouted, and Tuvok suddenly recognized him as Lt. Ayala.

"Wait for it," Malory replied, evidently speaking to a whole team. "Wait for it..." She waited till the ships were literally overhead and then yelled, "NOW!"

A whole slew of people popped out of camouflaged spots and beneath rocks and threw things into the air: roots, sticks, stones, rope. The objects flew upwards into the ships' intakes, and a few meters forward, the crude air ships began to explode and crash.

The holographic Voyagers moved in with phasers now, pulling the warlord's fighters out of the crashed ships and rounding them up to send them away.

"That actually worked," Ayala said, shaking his head. "That was insane."

Malory grinned. "I told you it would work."

The simulation ended, leaving Malory in her nice clean uniform. She glanced over at Tuvok. "What did you think?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "A creative tactic. Efficient."

She smiled, pleased with the praise, and they left the holodeck.

Afterwards, Tuvok decided that she would be suitable for bridge duty at Tactical. She was certainly capable enough.

A few weeks later Tuvok, Chakotay, and Ensign Kim were part of a landing party on an inhabited world. They, along with Mr. Neelix, were supposed to negotiate and trade for food and supplies. They were in the marketplace, when the native police swarmed in and arrested them for not having proper trading licenses. Neelix managed to get away and get back to the Voyager.

"They took them to the main compound," Neelix said urgently. "They're to be tried and fined, but it takes months for anybody to circulate through the system. And the thing is, we _do_ have the proper licenses. I've traded here before."

"It's a scam," Malory said quietly, from where she was sitting in as the Aux Tactical officer.

Every one turned to look at her.

"What do you mean, Lt?" Janeway asked.

"I've seen it before," Malory said, blushing faintly at all the attention. "It's a scam. They arrest someone for something petty, and then to get them out it costs a fortune. If they let them go in the first place."

"But they're innocent," B'Elanna protested.

"That's why it works," Malory replied.

"Then we get them out ourselves," Janeway said. "Can we beam them out?"

"No, it's shielded," Paris said.

"We could take a team in," B'Elanna said.

"But look at that place. It would take an army to get to them," Paris said despairingly. "It looks like a fortress."

"Not necessarily," Malory said quietly, calling up the detailed scans of the compound.

They all turned to her. "Mal?" B'Elanna asked.

She pointed to a series of thin lines. "Where there are air vents there is hope," she replied, grinning.

"You have an idea, Lt?" Janeway asked, arching an eyebrow.

Malory nodded. "Yes captain. Three men, phasers, a can of fog, and a holo imager."

"That's impossible."

Malory shook her head. "I've done it before. If there aren't lasers we won't even need the fog."

Janeway gave her a hard glare, and looked at B'Elanna. The engineer nodded subtly; she'd seen Malory pull of incredible stealth missions before. Janeway turned back to Malory. "How would it work?"

Malory explained in detail. "And I'd like to pick my own men," she finished.

"Are you absolutely sure this will work?" Janeway asked slowly.

"Yes ma'am."

Janeway nodded, taking the leap of faith. "Then go ahead."

"Give me ten minutes to prep and we'll be ready," Malory said, sounding for all the world like a seasoned military cmdr. She was out the door a second later.

Janeway and B'Elanna and Paris shared a glance. "Trust me, captain," B'Elanna said. "If anyone can do it, she can."

"I certainly hope so."

Ten minutes later Malory and her team of 3 were in the transporter room, each of them wearing a phaser set on stun and carrying a holo-imager and a tricorder. "Keep the comm. line open," Janeway told Malory.

"Yes captain."

Janeway looked at B'Elanna. "Energize."

Malory and her men beamed down into a storage closet. As soon as they were fully materialized, Malory was already taking off the cover to the air vent. "All right let's go," she said. "I'll take point, Ayala you guard the rear."

They got into the vents and started the crawl towards the holding cells. They all fit reasonably well; there was a reason Malory picked the ones she did.

Fifteen endless minutes later, they were right on top of the hallway outside the holding cells. Malory carefully unhooked her camera from around her neck, took a picture of the hallway, and lowered herself down halfway. There was a security camera a few feet from her, scanning the hallway. With one quick movement, she looped the imager's strap around the camera and hooked it securely. The camera was now looking at the picture of the empty hallway.

"Ok," Malory said quietly, and dropped down. The rest dropped down after her, and they proceeded down the hall to the holding cells. There was a code. Malory frowned at it, and took out her tricorder. "Simple combination lock," she said, hooking it up. A few seconds later the door opened.

"Nice one," Ayala said, holding the door open. He stuck the holo-imager in, took a quick snap of the inside, and reached up to hook it around the security camera. "Okay," he said, and they were in.

"Cmdr?" Malory called quietly as they spread out down the corridor.

"Over here," Chakotay replied quietly. The three of them were in one cell.

"Hold on," Malory said, putting the tricorder to work. She got the door open and went in. "Are you all right?" she asked them.

"Harry's got a sprained ankle," Chakotay said.

"But I can walk," Kim said, and stood up.

Malory handed a spare phaser to Tuvok and ushered them out. As soon as they stepped into the hallway, an alarm began to blare. "Motion sensors," she hissed, annoyed. "Move!"

The group ran for it, and encountered a group of guards in the hallway. Phasers started going off, and then another group of guards came from behind.

"Through that door!" Malory yelled, dodging a vicious backhand from one of the guards and throwing her own punch. "It's unshielded past there!"

The Star Fleet officers edged their way to the door. Kim got caught in the corner and Malory, being the closest, came to the rescue. She karate-chopped one guard in the neck, but the other one was ready for her and landed a solid punch to her shoulder, slamming her into the wall. Kim could've sworn he heard something crunch or pop but Malory didn't even flinch. She knocked the guard back and grabbed Kim's arm. "Come on, Harry."

Tuvok stunned the last guard and as soon as Malory and Kim were through the door Malory said, "Voyager, 7 to beam up."

While the Doctor was healing everyone's cuts and bruises, Malory was giving her report to the captain. "Got in and out, two injured, no deaths on either side," she summed up. "Not bad."

The Doctor noticed she was standing stiffly. "Are you all right?" he asked, coming over to her.

"My shoulder is dislocated," she said matter-of-factly, shrugging. She didn't even wince as she removed her uniform jacket to reveal the sickeningly bent joint.

Kim stared at her, aghast. "Why did you let me lean on your arm if it was dislocated?" he asked. "Doesn't it hurt?"

"It hurts, yes," she said, "but it's not painful."

The Doctor frowned at her and ran a tricorder scan. "Most people say that a dislocated shoulder is the worst kind of pain there is."

"Most people," she agreed. "Can you just pop it back in now?"

"Of course." He placed his hands on her arm and shoulder. "One, two-" He did it on two, and with a 'pop' it was back in place. "Three."

She rotated the joint and nodded. "Thank you Doctor."

"This is to reduce swelling," he said, giving her a hypo. He finished the scan, and his eyes narrowed. "Lt," he started cautiously, "were you ever in the Cardassian labor camps?"

The rest of them tried to look like they weren't listening, and listened with acute attention.

She zipped her jacket back up and looked at him with calm eyes. "Who wasn't?" she retorted.

"Answer the question please."

"Yes I was."

"For how long?"

She hesitated only a second, and said, "Long enough to sneak one hundred and fifty eight people out."

"Which would be...?" he prompted.

"Eight months," she finally said, and ignored the gasps of the others.

The doctor nodded slowly. "That would explain it. Thank you, Lt. Go get some rest. You've earned it."

"Eight months?" Kim asked, turning to Chakotay.

He shook his head. "I never knew... she never said she'd been there for that long."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Voyager's still not mine. **

In her log, Captain Janeway added a commendation to Lt. Malory's file. The more Janeway thought about it, the more she realized that the "short stint in Star Fleet" in Malory's file must have been something more substantial. Her planning was equal to Tuvok's. The captain decided to dig a little deeper.

Lt. Malory received a summons from Captain Janeway the next day. Report to the ready room. So she did.

"Captain," Malory said, nodding, at perfect attention.

"At ease, Lt. Would you like some coffee?"

"No thank you, captain."

They sat down on the couch. "Lt," Janeway started, wondering how to approach the subject, "what was your posting in Star Fleet?"

"Intelligence Spec Ops, captain." She smiled at Janeway. "And I'm sorry ma'am but I really can't tell you much more than that. Still classified." Her eyes took on a distant look. "But if I was there now, I could tell you where I'd be in the war..."

"Where?" Janeway asked.

"Right in the thick of it, either front lines or amid the enemy. Probably vanguard, anyway. Most definitely commanding either a task force or a squadron." She sighed. "The Gamma Quadrant was always tetchy."

Janeway stared at her. "Who are you?" she asked, half in jest, half in real curiosity.

Malory sighed. "I used to ask that question every day," she said quietly. "It's a long story."

"It can't be that long, you're not more than thirty," Janeway said, trying to inject some levity into the situation. Although at the moment, Malory looked more like someone who'd seen entire worlds pass away over time.

"I'm physically 27," was Malory's answer.

"Physically?" Janeway asked.

"Yes."

"And mentally?"

"I've lost count." Malory grinned wryly. "It's a long story, captain. Not a pretty one, either."

"We've got time," Janeway said encouragingly. "And it helps, to talk to someone."

"I really don't need counseling."

"Still." Janeway was undecided; should she make it a command phrased as a request? Was her aux Tactical officer going nuts?

Malory nodded. "I haven't talked to anyone, in, oh, three hundred years. Although Khan wasn't exactly sympathetic. He was extremely apathetic, actually." She frowned.

"Khan?" Janeway echoed.

"Khan Noonien Singh," Malory confirmed, nodding. "I worked for Gary Seven and a joint CIA/MI-6 op at the time. He wanted to know how a simple, non-gen-eng-ed human had managed to infiltrate his compound and terminate five of his comrades before getting caught. I had to tell him just to see his reaction. He was so angry." She laughed slightly. "That was the closest I've ever come to being strangled. Thank goodness Isis had my back."

"You're serious," Janeway said in disbelief.

"Yes ma'am. I never joke about psychopaths."

"You're not human?" the captain finally said, stating the obvious.

"No." Malory shook her head.

"What species are you?"

She stared out at the stars. "It doesn't matter. My home planet is gone, destroyed in a galaxy far, far away, to coin a phrase. My people are scattered throughout the universe, turned into completely different species. I am the only one left. I was born in the middle of a war..."

Janeway could see that Malory was going back into her memories. She'd hear the full story, now, whether she liked it or not.

"I was one of two hundred genetically enhanced children. We were forged in the fires of a war between my people and another, equally prosperous, civilization. We were the last hope of my people to stop the war. That was our job. To stop the war, one way or another. From the time of our birth we were trained to become the greatest soldiers in the universe, both individually and as a group. We were the elite of the elite. But it was already too late for both sides." She frowned. "We had a chance to settle, once. They were in a prime position for it. We hoped that our last act as warriors was to become ambassadors. But neither side wanted to stop fighting. Can you imagine? After three hundred years in time and space, no one wanted anything else except complete and utter victory." She looked at Janeway, her eyes bleak. "That was when we knew. The only way to win the war was to stop both sides. If not, the whole of space-time could have ripped apart. They were using Omega particles, you know, scavenged from black holes. But we as the Elite knew how to create them, control them. It was so easy."

"What did you do?" Janeway asked in a whisper of horror.

"We saved the galaxy. Possibly the universe by extension." She turned back to the window, unwilling to meet Janeway's eyes. "We got some of our allies to help us end it. We saved our outer colonies and the cities that weren't too badly damaged. Phased them out of this dimension and moved them to new planets, new galaxies. One of the elite went with each colony, to protect them just in case we were discovered. But we weren't, and they thrived. I think, anyways. The genetic drift is such that I don't think there's anyone with original DNA even left. You know, you might even be my relative, captain." Malory let that sink in for a second and then went on. "I wasn't involved in that part though. I wish I was." She took a deep breath and continued, "My unit crafted Omega-particle weapons, built specifically for each field of battle, each front, and went in simultaneously, depending on our telepathic links for synchronicity. That kind of communication transcends space and time. We were quite the chatterbox." She grinned in remembrance, and then frowned. "Anyways. We hit all major fronts simultaneously and then went in and swept up, cleaning out both sides. If there were survivors from our side, we sent them to the colonies. If not, well, we moved on. We finally made it to my home world. To the last field of battle." She froze, unable to go on, trapped in the past.

"What happened?" Janeway asked gently.

"There were only five of us left by then," Malory said, tears coming to her eyes. She didn't seem to notice them running down her cheeks. "We issued the final ultimatum to both sides, both High Councils. Then they turned on _us_ as the enemy and declared us traitors. Traitors, but faithful to our purpose. Peace, one way or another." Her voice by this time was monotone, her retelling of the story purged of emotions. "We crafted the weapon and set it. But the way our home world was built and the way the enemy fleet was stationed, they were literally in a different pocket of space-time. We had to get in there and turn the pocket inside out to work the device. But to do that, there had to be someone on the outside to push the button. And guess who got the short stick? I wish I hadn't." She took a deep breath. "So, I pushed the button. And, bang. They were gone. It wasn't even a bang. Your poet, TS Eliot, was right._ This is the way the world ends/ Not with a bang, but a whimper. _My whimper."

Malory suddenly realized she was crying, and stood up abruptly, turning to circle the room, wiping her face. "The doctor was wrong," she remarked, dabbing her eyes. "Remembering is the worst kind of pain there is."

They stood there in silence for a few seconds and then Janeway asked the inevitable question. "How did you come to be here?"

Malory laughed dryly. "I honestly have no idea. After the End-" Janeway could _feel_ the capital letter- "I was utterly alone. None of the Elite left, at least not in a form I would recognize. But I tried, anyways. I thought maybe I could just, find a nice little colony and settle down. I searched for over 50 years, but we were the Elite. We hid so well not even I could find them. I was glad of that in a way. They were safe." She returned to the couch to stare at the stars. "So, I became a wanderer." She gestured at the stars. "I took jobs where I could find them. I once was an astrophysicist professor emeritus for 60 years. That was a good time. Lovely people. Good coffee. Sometimes, though, I joined a cause. A rebellion, a revolution, an insurrection, a cold war, an interstellar battle, a civilian ship against pirates, anyone that needed my help."

"No Prime Directive then," Janeway remarked.

"No. Not when I had the skills to save them. If they were in the right, of course."

Janeway raised an eyebrow at the arrogant statement. "Who gave you the right to judge who was right and who was wrong?" she asked, annoyed.

Malory gave her a grim smile. "I am not a god, captain. I know that. I know that better than anyone. But in some cases you can _see_ who is right and who is wrong, who is oppressed and who does the oppressing."

"That's why you joined the Maquis."

"Yes."

"And before that, you were in Star Fleet."

"Yes. I had been on Earth since the end of WWII. I was in the CIA of course, all through the Cold War, and then when the Chrysalis Project got started I joined Gary Seven to stop Khan. Once he and his brethren were safely frozen and sent away, I went back to the field of science. FTL drive, you know. Then WW3 happened, and I was right up there against Colonel Green and Adrik Thorsen. Then warp drive was invented, and I was actually _there_ when the Vulcans landed. _That_ was very interesting. I can tell you the full story in about ten years after the cycle is complete."

Janeway's eyes widened. "Oh goodness, don't tell me it's something involving time travel."

"Okay," Malory said agreeably. "I won't tell you."

Janeway sighed. "Of course." She waved a hand. "Continue."

"Anyways. From then on I was on surveillance and babysitting duty, since I knew Vulcan. I'd spent 500 years with 'em before going to Earth. I got to see Surak and the Reformation first-hand. Now that was a privilege. He was one of the wisest men I've ever met. I've always wondered if I'd gone with the Sundered if they would have turned out differently. Probably not."

Janeway wasn't even surprised that the woman had known Surak.

"Anyways, after that, of course, was Star Fleet. I transferred straight from United Earth Intelligence to 'Fleet Security Corps. I've been there since. Served on starships, scout vessels, ground bases, space stations. The goals of the Federation and Star Fleet are quite noble. That's why I stayed as long as I did." She took a deep breath. "And then the Cardassian issue, and the rest you know." She gestured to her rank pips wryly. "Lt. Jane Malory, reporting for duty."

The captain nodded, slightly in shock at the tale. "How old are you?" was the next question.

"Too old."

Janeway gave her a look. _Straight answer, please_.

"8,511. Ish. There are a couple years I don't know if they actually registered in space-time."

"How did you stay so young?" Janeway asked out of sheer curiosity.

Malory grimaced. "Omega particles are powerful things, captain. If they don't outright destroy you they change our biology forever and allow it to be changed. I literally rewrote my genes to 'go native' each time I went somewhere. I'm human now, at least externally." She tugged at her long hair for emphasis. "Also, apparently, my cells don't die. They only regenerate and heal and rewrite. I age extremely slowly."

"How slowly?"

Malory frowned. "I was 18 when the war ended."

Janeway's jaw dropped. "_Eighteen?_"

"We worked very fast." Malory straightened her stance and faced her captain squarely. "Now what, captain?"

"I don't know," Janeway replied honestly.

A new voice appeared. "What took 300 years of hard fighting to achieve took a group of teenagers 2 years to finish. Never underestimate a child."

"Q!" Janeway realized, instantly recognizing the voice. _Not NOW._

"Show yourself," Malory commanded, iron in her tone.

Q appeared in a flash of light. "Ah, dear Lt. Malory. I can't believe that's what you're calling yourself nowadays. A few years ago you were an Admiral. I told you they'd find out who you were sooner or later."

"So far only the captain knows and it's no one else's business unless she makes it so," Malory replied, placing implicit trust in the captain, as well she should. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion at Q's smirk. "What did you do?"

"Your ship-wide comm. is on," Q said, gloating.

Janeway and Malory's eyes widened in horror and they stared at each other. The chime rang a few seconds later and before the captain could respond Chakotay walked in using the override. "We couldn't turn it off," he said apologetically, "short of gutting our ship." He glared at Q and then turned to Malory. "I'm sorry, Mal."

She nodded. "Doesn't matter, sir." She turned to the super being. "What do you want, Q?"

"Firstly, to offer my congratulations at sticking with the humans for so long. Such dedication is to be commended." He gave her a bow and a sly look. "Secondly, my dear, your presence is required in another corner of the universe."

Malory stared at him. "What?"

"I have a request from the people of Dlkjet IV."

"Which is?"

"And I quote: Please, Keeper of Strategy, send us a miracle."

Malory raised an eyebrow. "And you're the Keeper of Strategy?"

"Well no, but they're praying to a false god and I'm the only one around. And you're the only false miracle I could think of." Q smiled at her.

She frowned at him. "Playing with the beliefs of other species is not nice."

"I'm Q. I don't have to be nice."

"Well go be not-nice to someone else," she said, waving him off. "I'm busy."

"Busy helping people who can help themselves," he scoffed. "Lost your taste for adventure?"

"Never."

"Then come and play."

"It's not a game, Q."

"No it's not. There are children starving."

Malory stared at him. "What are you talking about?"

He gestured vaguely. "Well, now that I have a son of my own I'm much more sympathetic to a long, drawn-out siege of a country with five hundred thousand children." He knew by her reaction that he'd gotten her, hook, line and sinker.

"Where?" she asked, pressing her lips together in a thin, determined line.

"The Andromeda Galaxy. You're practically neighbors."

"Why are you doing this?" Chakotay asked.

Q shrugged. "I am not heartless, commander. And besides, it's the least I can do for Janie, here, give her a nice job once in a while. I mean, we've known each other for two millenniums."

Malory ignored their banter, thinking hard. Finally she spoke up. "Can you get me there?"

"Of course."

"And back here in five minutes?"

"If they want you back." Q shrugged. "You are a monster, after all. Or at least that's what you keep telling yourself. Why don't you ask them?"

Malory turned to Janeway and Chakotay. "Captain, request temp leave of absence to deal with this. A day, at most."

"This is what you do?" Janeway asked, a bit shocked. "Run off with Q when he promises a new adventure?"

Malory's expression looked pained. "Captain, there are children dying. This is a rescue mission. And I am _not_ going to ignore it. If you don't want me back, I will resign my commission." In the heavy silence of the ready room, she plucked the two rank pips off her uniform and laid them on Janeway's desk.

Janeway held up a hand, asked them silently to wait. She glanced from Q to Malory to Chakotay and back again. Q was inspecting his fingernails, bored witless probably. Malory looked determined and confident and just the least bit broken. Chakotay just looked curious. Curious as to what the captain would decide. Janeway frowned. Could they afford to have this ageless, dangerous, being on board? Could they afford _not_ to? She glanced at Malory again, and felt a pang of pity. If she resigned again, there'd be nothing to tie her to the Federation. She'd be off wandering, again, with no friends and no place to call home. She did say she would come back. She wanted to come back. Probably thought the Voyager was worth saving.

Janeway made her choice. She picked up the two pips on the desk. "Permission granted. I'll take care of these while you're away."

Malory smiled, a genuine smile of appreciation and relief. "Thank you captain," she said, closing her eyes briefly, like she couldn't believe it. "I'll be back. I promise."

"Ready?" Q asked, snapping out of his reverie.

"Yes."

"Captain Janeway, adieu." He snapped his fingers, and the two of them vanished.

Janeway and Chakotay shared a glance. "Did what I think just happened happen?" Chakotay asked.

"If you're thinking that an 8 thousand year old being with incredible knowledge was just revealed and then whisked away by Q, then yes, that just happened." The captain finished off her coffee and set the mug down. "Let's go fix the comm. system."

"The comms are working again," Kim reported as soon as the captain and first officer emerged. "Uh, they cut off just a second ago."

"So everyone heard that Lt. Malory vanished?" Janeway asked the bridge at large.

Kim nodded. A second later, so did Paris, Torres and Tuvok.

Janeway nodded firmly. "When she returns, if, she returns, we will treat her normally. Understood?"

"Aye captain," came the answering chorus.

She looked at Chakotay, who'd remained silent. He gave her a slight nod. "She gave her word," he said. "She'll be back."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Only Lt. Malory belongs to me. **

They waited one day. Lt. Malory did not return.

"Maybe it's taking longer than she thought," Kim volunteered.

"My question is why doesn't Q just fix it?" Paris asked, raising his eyebrows and leaning back in his chair.

"Because Q is Q, Mister Paris," Janeway replied, "and he probably thinks he's doing someone a favor."

They waited another day. She still did not return.

"Maybe she's taking a vacation," Neelix said to Chakotay in the mess hall.

"Goodness knows she deserves it," Chakotay replied.

Another day passed. It brought with it the Borg. An entire sector full of Borg, in fact. "Of all the times for Lt. Malory to be MIA this is the _worst_," Janeway griped under her breath.

Chakotay heard her and laughed slightly. "We didn't need her before and we don't now," he said.

Janeway was heartened by this.

Thus the Voyager made an alliance with the Borg, and at the end of the treaty acquired a young Borg named Seven of Nine. Lt Jane Malory still had not returned.

"What if she's dead?" B'Elanna asked during a late night in Sandrine's, after everyone had settled into that post-crisis haze of synthehol and pool.

"Q would have told us," Paris said.

"What if she found somewhere else to go?" Kim asked.

"she wouldn't leave just like that," B'elanna retorted. She looked at Paris doubtfully. "Would she?"

He held out his hands helplessly. "I don't know. We don't know her at all, now."

Suddenly the Red Alert sirens began to go off. "All senior officers to the bridge," Tuvok announced calmly.

They all stood up and raced for the bridge, Lt Malory dropped from their minds as they struggled to deal with the new crisis.

"Report!" Janeway ordered, arriving only a few seconds after the rest of her crew. She'd been sound asleep, for once.

"A temporal anomaly forming off the port bow," Tuvok announced. "Unknown origins."

"It looks like a portal of some kind," Kim said, looking at the readings.

Suddenly, a small shiny box fell out of the anomaly into normal space. The anomaly closed a second later.

"What is that?" Chakotay asked.

"It seems to be some sort of bronze alloy, three meters in length, one meter in width."

"An escape pod?" Kim guessed. His eyes widened. "I'm reading a life sign, captain. It's faint, but definitely human."

Captain and commander shared a glance. Was it Malory? "Beam them directly to sickbay," Janeway ordered, already moving.

"Security team to sickbay," Tuvok said, joining the captain in the turbo lift.

They arrived in sickbay only seconds after the transport was completed. It was Lt. Malory. She stood there, looking around blankly, and then fell over. The doctor caught her and raised her onto the nearest bed. "Dehydrated, malnourished, a concussion, and-" his voice rose in pitch, "three partially healed stab wounds." He started pumping hypos into her.

Malory was wearing thin cotton pants and shirt, a slightly thicker long vest, and a pair of worn sandals, all dirty and ragged. She looked about ten pounds thinner and a hundred years older, even in sleep.

Janeway turned away from the disturbing sight and tapped her combadge. "Janeway to bridge."

"Yes captain," Chakotay said anxiously.

"Bring the pod onboard," Janeway said.

"Aye captain." The unspoken question was there.

"Lt Malory has returned," Janeway informed him, and heard a collective sigh of relief over the tiny speaker. "Janeway out." She went to Malory's side. "How is she Doctor?"

"Well, she'll need lots of liquids and lots of sleep, but she'll be fine." He shook his head, amazed. "I've never seen anyone's cells work like this before. They're reacting to the nutrients already. Look." He pulled up the sleeve on Malory's shirt and sure enough, the angry red wound was fading to a nice clean pink. "Even her concussion is gone," he reported, scanning her again. "She'll wake up any second, captain."

As if on cue, Malory groaned and her eyes opened. She sat up, immediately alert. When she saw them she sighed. "Oh, thank goodness."

"What happened?" Janeway asked.

"Q left me in the lurch," Malory replied, scowling. "After I dealt with the siege I had to build my own way back. The bronze coffin, as I like to call it."

"You built a time ship," Tuvok asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"Yes. Using, almost literally, stone knives and bearskins." Malory frowned. "I was there for almost two years. Invented the grain mill for the kids. And there was a strange sort of eddy surrounding the ship. Plus there was a brief riot right before I left. Hence the stabs. I think I'm a bit late on the star date. Two days? Three?"

"Two weeks," Tuvok informed her. "In which time we encountered the Borg."

Malory's eyes widened. "The Borg? What happened?"

Janeway gave her a brief rundown.

"And you have a Borg. On the ship. Right now."

"Yes."

Malory's eyes were wide. She was actually paler than she was before. "This is, this is going to be a very strange meeting," she said. Then she stood up, angry. "Q must have blocked me from coming back too soon," she said. "I could have helped." She kicked the biobed. "Nosy, no-good, interfering busybody," she muttered, punching the biobed.

"What are you talking about?" Janeway asked.

Malory frowned. "The Borg and I have a long history. A very long history. I knew them before they were even the Borg. I never conceived the idea they might become this." She waved a hand to encompass the entire Borg domain. "If I'd have known that we were coming up on them I would have never gone."

"I would have made you go," Q declared, showing up again. "You are _not_ going to sacrifice yourself to the Borg for one tiny ship. Not to mention this was a fixed point in time. You wouldn't have been able to change it anyways."

Malory sighed and ran her fingers through her limp hair. "You and your fixed points. They can be changed, you know."

"Now hold on a minute," Janeway said, her eyes narrowing. "What's all this about sacrificing yourself to the Borg?"

"She knows how to control those Omega particles," Q said pointedly. "The Borg practically worship those things. They've been trying to assimilate her for millennia to acquire the information to control Omega."

"Which I wouldn't have given them because I would have self-destructed the lot of them from the inside out before giving it up," Malory added, glaring at Q. "I could have stopped the Borg once and for all."

"You would have died!"

"I've survived worse."

"Yeah, and then you rebuilt yourself from the amino acids up," Q retorted. "That took you fifteen years the last time. I am not going to be responsible for that again." He looked at Janeway. "See? Not heartless." He vanished.

Malory punched the biobed again in frustration and sat down, suddenly weak. She addressed the open air. "Fine. Fine. Thank you."

A bouquet of roses appeared in her lap.

"Are you two always this way?" the doctor asked curiously.

Malory grinned wryly. "Mostly."

"Fascinating," Tuvok said. "You are the only non-Q he's formed a friendship with."

"The universe is strange," Malory agreed, smelling the roses. "Mmm, apple pie." She turned to the doctor. "Can I go to my quarters now? I haven't had a hot shower in two years."

He started to protest.

She held up a hand. "Doctor, I've taken care of myself for 8 thousand years. I know how to recover from simple exhaustion."

"Exhaustion? It looks like you haven't eaten in two years!"

She frowned. "I haven't."

They stared at her. "That is impossible," Tuvok said flatly.

"There was a siege. Then a famine. 500,000 children. Why the worlds would I eat when I didn't need to?" She headed for the door. "Oh, and captain?"

"Yes, Lt?"

"Please don't examine the pod. It might unravel your future."

Janeway nodded. "Understood." She gave the lt a smile. "Welcome back. Sleep well."

Malory smiled. "Thank you captain."

After Lt. Malory left sickbay she went straight back to her quarters, showered, put some clean pajamas on, and replicated a bowl of high-nutrient soup and a milkshake with protein and vitamins. Chicken and strawberry, respectively.

As she ate she reflected on the past few days. Well. Few days for the Voyager, two years and a few days for _her_. Thanks to Q, 150 people knew her secret. When people found out who she was, two things usually happened. Either they would banish her or begin to rely on her completely. Either option signaled it was time to move on. That wasn't going to happen with the Voyager though. Hopefully. That Borg though. That changed everything...

The doorbell rang.

"Come in," Malory called.

The door slid open and Chakotay walked in.

"Cmdr," Malory said, standing up.

"At ease," he replied, waving her back to her seat. "I'm here as a friend." He eyed her curiously. She was thin and pale. "What happened?" he asked.

Malory grimaced. "Life."

"You didn't eat for two years?" He must've talked to the captain.

"Only bits here and there," Malory replied, thinking of the one chicken she'd allowed herself to keep. She took another sip of her milkshake. "I can handle it though. I'm, well, I'm not like you."

Chakotay grinned wryly. "No, you're not. And now we know why." He frowned. "Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

"You didn't need to know," Malory said simply. "I could do everything I needed to do without it. The Delta Quadrant is dirty and squabbly and backstabbing, kind of like the Old West from Earth, but it's not impossible. The captain can handle it just fine." She added quietly, "Besides, there _is_ a non-interference directive of sorts, imposed by the future. I really couldn't tell you anything. Till now, apparently." She rolled her eyes. The Department of Temporal Investigations must've known this would happen.

Chakotay nodded understandingly. "But in spite of all this you're the same person as you were three weeks ago. Right?"

"Yep. Just the aux Tactical security officer with a very long job history." Malory gave him a smile and then got serious again. "What happened with the Borg, Chakotay? I need details."

"You first," Chakotay replied. "How do you know the Borg?"

Malory grimaced. "They were one of our protected territories in the End. A lovely species. But they entered the technological age a few hundred years after the war and ta-da, le cyborg. They became greedy and ambitious. I tried to stop them, but I didn't want to destroy them. They were stuck in their own galaxy, anyways. So I left that part of the universe. Then a few hundred years later I encountered them again. Except they were _mean_ and voracious, relentless, like you know them now. They tried to kill me, then when they realized who I was they tried to assimilate me, then they tried to strip my neural cortex for information on the Omega Particles." She frowned. "They've been like that ever since."

"And now we have a Borg on board."

"And now we have a Borg on board," Malory echoed. "How in the crazy universes did that happen, Chakotay?"

He took a sip of tea and told her the story.

Malory shook her head in admiration. "You don't even need me at all. The captain is the best leader I've seen in a _long_ while."

"You're not going to leave though, are you?" Chakotay asked, alarmed. Even without her extra history she was a valuable crew member, and a friend.

Malory shook her head. "Not unless circumstances demand it." She frowned. "That Borg though. I mean, I _have_ seen a few Borg regain individuality. Hugh, Captain Picard, and a few dozen colonies I separated from the collective. But I've never had actual, face-to-face contact." She finished off her milkshake, her stomach satisfied.

"What do you think her reaction is going to be?" Chakotay asked.

Malory yawned. "I honestly have no idea. She'll probably try to kill me." She yawned again.

Chakotay raised an eyebrow at her nonchalance, and then realized this was probably the last thing on her mind. He stood up, took her dishes and put them in the replicator. "Well, even 8,000 year old beings need sleep. The captain says you're not on-duty until the doctor clears you." He gave her a quick smile. "Sleep well."

"Thanks."

He left to make his report to the captain, and Malory felt suddenly overwhelmed with fatigue. She needed to sleep, _now_. She didn't even move from the couch...

17 hours later, she woke up long enough to move to the bed, pull the covers over her, and fall asleep again.

8 hours later, Malory woke up, completely refreshed. She showered again, put her uniform on, and found her rank pips on the table. She put them on, smiling.

She lost the smile a few seconds later when her stomach grumbled. The crew. How would _they_ react to her? She straightened her uniform and strode out of her quarters, determined and ready for every reaction possible.

When she entered the mess hall, everyone stopped and stared at her. Then they all smiled and went back to eating.

"Lt. Malory, you're back!" Neelix said delightedly, dragging her towards the kitchen. "You're so thin. You must be hungry." He heaped her tray full of leola root something-or-other and gave her a cup of coffee.

"Thanks Neelix," Malory said, smiling. She turned to the tables, looking for a seat.

"Hey Mal," B'Elanna said, waving her over to the table where she, Tom, and Harry were sitting.

"Hi," Malory said, sitting down across from B'Elanna.

"Feel better?" Paris asked, eyeing her slightly hollow cheeks.

Malory nodded and tucked into the leola root without even grimacing. "Yup." She took a sip of sludge coffee. "There's nothing like two years of starvation to make leola root taste good," she commented, trying not to eat like a pig.

They all shared a glance. "So, you saved them all?" Harry asked.

Malory nodded, swelling with pride. "Every single one." The country was now well on its way to rebuilding its infrastructure and exports and imports and agriculture.

"Wow," Paris said, and the four of them looked at each other awkwardly.

"Come on guys," Malory said finally, "I'm the same person."

"Well yeah," Paris said, "but you're also a hero and a warrior and you built a time and space traveling coffin from scratch in less than two years."

Malory's jaw dropped. "Oh. I forgot about that. Um. We're gonna have to scrap it after I get the cargo out."

"What cargo?" B'Elanna asked. "That thing's just big enough to fit you!"

Malory gave them a secret smile. "I got some things to fit in there, nevertheless."

"What is it?" Kim asked, curious.

"Coffee and maple syrup."

They all stared. "Seriously?"

"Yep."

"You're awesome," Paris said, and then he grinned. "But I still know the 20th century better than you do."

Malory rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. I _lived_ those days."

"Okay then, Ms. Smarty-pants. Name 2 Will Smith movies," Paris challenged.

"Ooh, Will Smith," Mal said, frowning in concentration. "Uh, Men in Black I-IV, and, ah, Independence Day."

"Oh, good ones," Paris said, nodding.

"Now you."

"Um, okay, wait, I am Legend, and, After Earth."

"Ha. Good job."

They all grinned, and they were normal again, all the awkwardness was gone.

After Malory finished breakfast she reported to sickbay.

"Ah, you're awake," the Doctor said cheerfully. "Looking much better already." He scanned her and his holographic eyes nearly fell out. "You're perfectly fine," he said. "Your cells don't even show the damage at all."

Malory smiled wryly. "I told you I could handle it."

"Yes." He ran the scanner near her ribs. "Well, those are faint enough scars. How did you even get these?"

"Last minute attack from a cult of super-traditionalists."

"Ah." He closed the tricorder. "Well, you're perfectly fit for active duty."

"Thank you doctor." Malory stood up and adjusted her jacket.

The doctor held out a hand. "Ah, Lt, based on your history, I'd like to ask you about your experience with post-traumatic stress disorder."

"I've seen it in hundreds of different species, what about it?" Malory asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I mean in _you_. The things you've been through."

"I sleep, if that's what you mean, doctor," Malory replied, annoyed. "And any nightmares I have are well under control. I don't get flashbacks, panic attacks, or anything else. We were made so we wouldn't have PTSD. I have the most stable psyche of anyone onboard."

"I see," the doctor said, nodding. "Thank you, Lt."

She grinned. "No problem, doctor." She knew it was his job to ask. She also knew he didn't believe her a bit.

As soon as she left sickbay she encountered Tuvok in the hallway. "Cmdr."

"Lt," he replied. "Are you recovered. "Yes sir."

Tuvok remarked inwardly at the irony of Malory's calling _him _sir. Aloud he said, "Captain Janeway has informed me of your situation with the Borg. I believe it would be better in the interests of all of us to get the confrontation over with as soon as possible."

Malory nodded. "I absolutely agree. The sooner we get this over with the better."

"Then let us proceed to the cargo bay," Tuvok said. "The captain will meet us there."

They went, and as they walked Malory steeled herself internally for the fight. If it was going to be a fight. You never could tell with Borg. Just breathe... she took a few deep breaths, centering herself, gearing her reflexes for instant action. She went through all the encounters with the Borg, wondered if they were still using the variant of C++. Probably not. Probably using Lorentian algorithms.

Captain Janeway was waiting for them. She saw Malory and realized that this was what her battle stance was. She looked ready to take on an entire Borg fleet. "Lt Malory, at ease," she said, smiling slightly. "She's very vulnerable. Not likely to try and attack you."

"We hope," Malory said. But she made herself relax.

"Let's do this," Janeway said, and opened the door.

Seven of Nine was standing at a console, reading something about protocol. She turned around as soon as the door opened and watched them patiently. She looked very, human. "Captain Janeway," she said bluntly.

"Seven," Janeway said gently. "This is Lt. Jane Malory."

"Lt. Malory," Seven said, nodding in greeting.

"Hello, Seven," Malory replied. "How are you feeling?"

"I am functioning at an optimum capacity," Seven replied. A few seconds later she said, "It's very, quiet, in here."

"It is, isn't it?" Malory agreed, genially.

Seven moved closer, inspected her. She got within the sensor range of Malory, and she could feel something different about her. She stared at her. "Have I seen you before?" she asked slowly.

"No," Malory said. "Not you specifically." She was waiting for recognition to kick in. Only a few more seconds now...

"You are Species 0001," Seven finally said bluntly. "The Last of the Elite." She took a step back, shaken. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here," Malory replied, noting the glances that Tuvok and Janeway gave each other. At least her story was confirmed. "I'm a Lt on this ship. I work in security."

"Do you know who this is?" Seven asked Janeway.

"Yes, we do."

"She should be captain," Seven informed them.

Malory raised an eyebrow. "That's not how it works, Seven."

"But you are the most experienced. You led Species 6564 on a successful campaign against the Borg. You are not even in the same galaxy." Seven raised an eyebrow. "Why are you not in command?"

"That's not how it works," Malory repeated. "Captain Janeway is in command. I follow her orders, just like everybody else. I can suggest courses of action, but I'm not in command."

Seven stared into the middle distance for a few seconds and then said, "If you can serve under a human captain, then so can I."

Malory grinned. "Good." She held out her hand. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Seven."

"Likewise," Seven replied, shaking her hand awkwardly. She raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to tell them of Omega?"

"No. Nobody can have that sort of knowledge," Malory replied. "I'm sorry."

Seven nodded. "I need to regenerate," she said abruptly.

"We'll leave," Janeway said.

The trio of officers left, and stopped outside the hallway. "She's not going to stop wondering," Malory said. "And she'll keep asking. And I might possibly find her trying to download my brain one night. But I think she'll be all right."

"She identified you as Species 0001," Tuvok said quietly.

"Yes," Malory replied. "She did."

"1 as in the first alien species that the original Borg had ever encountered, or 1 as in," Janeway trailed off, unable even to fathom it.

"As in the first species ever?" Tuvok finished.

"Um, both?" Malory said uncertainly. "Although to the second one we'd be more like, ah, 0012. But yes, the first species they encountered. We made First Contact."

"That's fascinating," Janeway said. "You should write up your journeys. Your views on the past and past civilizations would be life-changing."

Malory gave her a slight grin. "_Too_ life-changing, I think, captain," she said.

"How do you mean?"

"There's a time and a place to learn all things," Malory said cryptically. "And you don't even get out of the galaxy for another hundred years. There'll be time enough then."

Janeway nodded, understanding her point. "Well then," she said. "Dismissed."

"Captain," Malory said, giving her a formal old-style salute and heading out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Yep, working with borrowed characters still. **

**A/N This chapter deals with the episode 'The Omega Directive.'**

Life for the Voyager continued as normal. Malory was moved onto a rotating shift between departments, depending on who needed her the most at the moment. She helped Seven build the Astrometrics lab, and helped integrate the Borg technology to Voyager.

"That's something I admire about the Borg," Malory said, "they sure know how to make things last."

Malory also became the go-to person for advice, anecdotes, and new holoprograms. She could think up and scenario in the universe.

When they made contact with Star Fleet and were able to receive letters, she didn't expect to get anything. But she did. She got one letter, from Admiral Jacoby, Star Fleet Intelligence.

"Did you know him well?" Neelix asked curiously. He was handing out letters in the mess hall and stopped at her table. "Oh, here's one for you, Tom."

"He's my old boss," Malory replied. She didn't even bother going somewhere private; she just opened the file and started to read it, ignoring the curious gazes of Tom, Harry, and B'Elanna. When she finished she started to laugh. "Bureaucrats," she muttered, grinning.

"What did he say?" Kim asked.

"He gave me a basic update on the state of affairs in the Alpha Quadrant, which is in a word, ridiculous, and then he asked me for a spy's version of the Delta Quadrant and ordered me to make the return of Voyager my top priority. What does he think I'm doing out here? Twiddling my thumbs?" She gave a vicious stab at her leola root. "If there's one thing I can't stand it's being accused of incompetence. Also mass genocide, ethnic cleansing, wanton violence, cruelty, prejudice..." she trailed off when she realized they were all staring at her. "What?"

"Nothing."

In spite of herself, Malory sent back an excruciatingly explicit overview of the sociopolitical state of the Delta Quadrant and commendations for the entire Voyager crew. She knew that Admiral Jacoby would make a good ally for when they got back to the Alpha Quadrant.

Then, they discovered the Omega particles. The ship rocked from a shockwave of an explosion, computers shut down and the ship stopped. Lt. Malory was in Engineering at the time. She saw those symbols flashing on all the screens and turned pale. Now she knew why she'd been having chills...

"What's wrong?" B'Elanna asked. "What is this?"

"Excuse me, but I have to talk to the captain," Malory said, giving her a quick nod and heading for the bridge. She was in the turbo lift when her communicator went off. "Malory."

"Lt. Malory, can you join me in the ready room?" Janeway asked.

"On my way, captain." Malory stepped onto the bridge and in two seconds she was at the door.

"Come!" Janeway called, and was surprised to see her. "That was fast." She showed her the screen with the Omega symbol. "I assume you know what this is."

Malory smiled wryly. "I invented the system, captain."

Janeway stared at her. "Well. Then you know what we have to do."

"Yes captain." Malory frowned. "But I set up the system with Star Fleet support in mind to be able to take care of it." She tapped in some commands to the laptop and grimaced. "And from these readings that's hundreds of particles. That could take out the entire Delta Quadrant, captain."

Janeway nodded slowly, trying to come to terms with what it implied. "Can you neutralize them safely?" she asked.

"With Seven's help and half the crew, yes. Absolutely."

"No," the captain said, "we can't risk telling the crew."

Malory frowned slightly. "Captain, we are not in the Alpha Quadrant. Now, with time, the three of us could do it perfectly well, but the fact that we were able to detect them means something's already gone wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"In a perfect state, Omega particles are undetectable. Why do you think we used them as weapons? Nobody ever saw them." She grinned fractionally. "Unless you're me of course. I can sense them, especially in perfect alignment. Side effect."

Janeway stood up. "You'll be in charge of this operation then. I'll call a briefing for the senior officers. You have 20 minutes to prepare."

"Aye captain." Malory followed Janeway onto the bridge and as soon as the helm set a course for the source of the explosion, Malory snagged Seven's arm and hurried her off the bridge.

20 minutes later the senior officers were gathered in the conference room. The captain gave them a brief overview of the mission and said, "Lt. Malory?"

Malory stood up. "Yes captain. When I designed the directive," she ignored the looks of shock on their faces, "we had a team of specialists already picked out. Considering the circumstances though, it's down to us. Seven and I have encountered the Omega particles before. They are extremely unstable and an disturbance could cause chaos for the entire quadrant, for decades. Our job is to get rid of them safely. Depending on the amount of particles, Seven and I will come up with specs for a disposal unit. We'll need manpower and resources from science and engineering. B'Elanna, we'll need multiphasic shielding around the warp core, up to 500%. I'll give you a hand with that. Doctor, we'll need bucket-loads of arithrazine. And Tom, you'll need to be ready to get us out of here at a second's notice. If things go south, we'll need as much distance as possible. Things in their vicinity tend to, implode."

Janeway took over. "We'll reach the planet in 3 hours. Dismissed."

By the time they got there, the multiphasic shielding for the warp core was complete, the 80 kiloton photon torpedo was well on its way, and the resonance chamber was being framed in the cargo bay.

"We cannot destroy it," Seven told Malory flatly.

Malory stared at her. "We have to."

"Not if you were to stabilize it." Seven looked at her, something akin to hero worship in her eyes. "You can. I know it."

Malory sighed. "Seven, I know what the Borg think of Omega. I know you want to keep it, study it. Just for old times' sake so do I. But think of the risks. You _know_ how many Borg were destroyed in the attempts to harness Omega. I am not going to risk this crew for a simple particle, no matter how awe-inspiring. And neither are you."

Seven frowned. She knew Malory was right. "Very well."

Malory felt bad. "But," she said, "When we have it, I will try my best to make them stabilize so you can see them."

Seven's eyes lit up. "You would do that?"

"It's the most beautiful thing in the universe," Malory said, getting a strange ache in her heart as she thought of it. "Of course I would."

They reached the planet and found the source of the Omega explosion: a small moon. Just looking at it, Malory got goose bumps. That was a _lot_ of energy.

"Lt. Malory," Janeway said. "You'll form part of the away team. Tuvok, Mr. Paris, you too. Cmdr Chakotay, you have the bridge."

"Aye captain."

They beamed down and found people dead and dying of radiation poisoning. Malory spared them a sympathetic glance but her attention was focused elsewhere: a large sealed chamber. "It's through here," she said, vaguely realizing that the captain was speaking.

"The door is fused shut," Tuvok said.

"Phasers," Janeway ordered.

"The Prime Directive, captain," he protested.

"Rescinded," she shot back.

They cut through the door and as soon as it slid open Malory's skin began to tingle and her nerves began to sing. She could feel an ancient, almost forgotten sensation rushing through her veins, and she took a few steps closer, staring into the heart of the chamber. "Hello," she said softly. "Haven't seen you in hundreds of years..."

"Lt," Tuvok said, "you are glowing."

"It's just the light," she replied distractedly, but she knew it wasn't. Like magnets, the Omega particles were reacting with the residual energy in her DNA. She waved her hand and the particles followed her movement.

"Lt," Janeway warned.

The admonition brought her to reality and Malory stepped back, shaken. "We'll have to use the resonance chamber. There are millions of particles. I should go back to Voyager and adjust the specs."

"Go ahead."

Malory stepped out of the chamber. "Don't touch," she said, before she beamed up.

She stopped by sickbay to see how the creator of the particles was doing. It was a miracle he wasn't dead. She found him shouting at Seven not to destroy the particles. "You don't know what you're doing! This is our future!"

Something in her snapped and Malory stepped forward, eyes blazing. "Don't be naive," she told him. "Do you think even if we left that your precious particles would be left in peace? The Borg would surely come after you. Then even if you survived them there are others, from all corners of the universe. Creatures that scavenge on the remains of subspace would follow you wherever you went. There are civilizations that would tear this galaxy apart to obtain even 1 single particle; the war to end all wars was won with a fraction of your treasure. When you mess with Omega you are taking on the entire universe. We are doing you a _favor_." Her tone softened as she remembered why he had created them. "And as for the future of your children, try extracting power from zero-point energy. I'll give you the base calculations myself." She left both doctor and patient staring at her in shock.

She stalked down the hall, breathing heavily, trying to calm herself down. _I am the last of the Elites,_ she told herself firmly. _I am a Star Fleet officer. Calm down. Calm down._ But she couldn't stop the rush of memories the Omega particles brought on. _The Elite gathered in the Council Chamber, their faces drawn and their eyes weary from all they'd seen. "This is the only way. All in favor say Aye." A pause. And then, "Aye." "Let the end begin." They were only 16 years old…_

"Lt. Malory." Seven's blunt statement snapped her out of it.

"Yep?" Malory asked, slowly unclenching her fists.

"Did you mean that?"

Malory nodded. "Of course. Omega is like the Holy Grail of particles. Come on." But she couldn't stop the lingering memories.

They finished the chamber in the nick of time: two ships were heading their way. They managed to beam up both the particles and the away team and headed off.

Malory started to glow again as she and Seven worked on the resonance chamber. "11% neutralized," Malory reported, as Janeway walked into the cargo bay.

Janeway glanced curiously at Malory. The Lt. had a strange glint in her eye...

Malory was sorely tempted. She knew how to stabilize the particles. She could do it any second. She could use the particles to get the Voyager home in two seconds flat, end power struggles all over the galaxy - but no. What she said to the alien scientist was still true. The Nightmare Scavengers would come, as they always did, and the Borg would be _very_ persistent. No. Better to destroy them. She ramped up the resonance.

Janeway saw the gleam in Malory's eye disappear and resolved to ask her about it later. "How's it going?" she asked, taking a place at the other imager.

"Too slowly," Malory said. "I'm turning it up." 25%...50%... if she was going to show Seven perfection she'd have to hurry. She started rotating the particles, the skills coming back to her with ease. 72%, 75% - _there_. She looked into the viewer.

For 7.8 seconds the three women saw 50 million Omega particles in a state of absolute alignment. For those 7.8 seconds, Malory felt like the universe was singing...

And then, quite suddenly, they were gone, destroyed. The chamber was empty.

They stayed silent, still in shock, until Chakotay called for an update.

"We were successful," Janeway said, tearing her gaze away from the chamber. "Get us out of here. Janeway out." She looked at Malory. "You're not glowing anymore," she observed.

"No ma'am. All normal." Worse than normal; Malory felt like she'd just come off a sugar high. "Seven? You all right?"

"I'm fine," she said, still in awe. "Thank you."

Malory smiled. "It was my pleasure."

After that adventure, Lt. Malory seemed to fade into the background, doing her duty without calling any attention to herself. People almost forgot that she wasn't just plain old Jane Malory. And then something would happen, and she would say or do something that would seem so utterly strange, and then they'd remember. But then the ship would be crashing or enemies invading and there'd be other things to think about than the origins of a crewmate.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Not mine. **

**A/N Last part! Kind of a short chapter...and, ahem, implied J/C. ;)**

And then, 3 years later, they were home, saved by the future. The Alpha Quadrant, Earth, _home_...

Then came the endless debriefings, the parades, the promotions. The Federation was in sore need of heroes, and the Voyager was just the thing.

As soon as the crew had finished their debriefing, Malory quietly disappeared. She was gone for a week, and came back in time for the official ceremonies. Captain Janeway to Admiral, Cmdr Chakotay to captain, etc, etc. Harry Kim finally got his promotion to Lt. Cmdr. The only never mentioned was Malory, since, technically, she already had the reserve rank of Admiral.

At the after party everyone was discussing their futures. Most of the crew was going to go back into space, some had had enough were taking desk jobs, and some gave up their commissions to rebuild the colonies they'd fought for.

"What about you, Mal?" B'Elanna asked.

"Back to Intelligence," Malory said lightly. "I'll be a spook again by tomorrow."

"So soon?" Chakotay asked, surprised.

"Things are too volatile to take a vacation," Malory replied cryptically. She gave the group a smile. "But I'll be here for the reunion. Wouldn't miss it for the world."

One year later, true to her word, Malory reappeared at the Voyager reunion. She looked tired.

"What have you been doing all this time?" the Doctor asked her as they were all standing in a circle, chatting.

She gave them a shrug and a smile. "Oh, you know, raising empires."

They all stopped and stared at her. The entire Federation knew the state of the Romulans, their failed plot to make Shinzon praetor, and the loss of Cmdr. Data.

"You were right in the thick of it, weren't you?" Kim said.

Malory nodded. "Yes I was. Had to hitch a ride back with the Enterprise. A Romulan senator stole my transport."

"You're joking."

"Nope." She grinned and proceeded to regale them with stories about turning into a Romulan for a year.

As the party was winding down Malory approached Janeway. "Admiral," she said, grinning.

"Admiral," Janeway replied, returning the grin. "Heading out?"

"I just wanted to say thank you," Malory said. "For everything."

Janeway eyed her sharply. "You're leaving, aren't you?" she asked.

Malory nodded. "The Federation is safe. The quadrants are stable. I have a feeling you'll be all right."

"Where are you going?" Janeway asked curiously.

"I don't know. Another galaxy, maybe another era altogether. There's always an element of chance to these things." Malory grinned. "But if I never see a leola root again it'll be too soon."

Janeway laughed and gave her a hug.

"Take care of yourself," Malory said, grinning. She glanced over at Chakotay, who was watching them curiously. "And take care of him, will you?"

"I'll try," Janeway said, a faint blush on her cheeks. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

They never saw the last of the Elite again.


End file.
